Gillingham will benefit from a £3.45 million investment in its transport infrastructure thanks to a successful growth deal fund bid secured by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership.
The proposed ‘Gillingham Growth’ infrastructure works include:
- Improvements to road junctions
- At Shaftesbury Road/New Road and Newbury/Le Neubourg Way
- ‘SCOOT’ (real time adaptive traffic control system) installation on five junctions along the B3081/B3092 corridor
- Sustainable transport improvements
- New walking and cycling links between Cemetery Road and Station Road
- Design of the Enmore Green Link Road in readiness for future government bidding opportunities
Designs for the works are currently in progress and will be available in July 2019 for residents to feedback on. The proposed package of transport improvement schemes within Gillingham town centre will lead to the development of 1710 houses, 2,500 jobs and the provision of nine hectares of employment land in the area.
Jake Berry, Minster for Growth said:
“We’re committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the UK and building a Britain fit for the future.
“Investment in economically important regions like Gillingham is exactly what the government’s Local Growth Fund is for. The proposed infrastructure improvements will help the local economy grow by retaining and attracting businesses and creating new jobs and housing for people across the area.”
Jim Stewart, Chair of Dorset LEP said:
“Gillingham is one of North Dorset’s main towns and improvements to the B3081 junction are essential to not only support the existing local economy but also unlock the economic growth potential of this area. We are really pleased to have secured £3.45 million through the government’s Local Growth Fund to invest in improved transport infrastructure to unlock new housing and employment land for Gillingham.”
Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:
“Our highway engineers have been working hard on the design to link four essential junctions through the centre of Gillingham to ensure that the transport infrastructure improvements, funded by this investment, will aid the economic growth of the town. Improvements to walking and cycling facilities will also create greater travel choice for residents.
“Plans of the four upgraded busy junctions will be on display at the town hall during two exhibitions next month.”
Notes to editors
- Local Growth Fund
Local Enterprise Partnerships are playing a vital role in driving forward economic growth across the country, helping to build a country that works for everyone.
That’s why by 2021 Government will have invested over £12bn through the Local Growth Fund, allowing LEPs to use their local knowledge to get all areas of the country firing on all cylinders.
Some additional key facts:
- There are 38 LEPs covering the whole of England.
- The government has awarded £9.1bn in three rounds of Growth Deals to local areas to drive economic growth.
- LEPs are investing in a wide range of projects including transport, skills, business support, broadband, innovation and flood defences.